Notre Dame could end up smelling like a rose

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 10:00 a.m. CDT

By Brian Hamilton and Chris Kuc — Chicago Tribune

(MCT) — Notre Dame has played in a Rose Bowl before. It was 1925 and Knute Rockne was coaching, but it takes little more than common knowledge of BCS mechanics to know this history may repeat itself in January.

Oregon and Kansas State finishing 1-2 in the final BCS standings and dearth of eligible Pac-12 teams means the Irish may parade to Pasadena — a possibility the game’s chief administrative officer deemed “tremendous” on Tuesday.

“Our priority is a Pac-12/Big Ten game,” Kevin Ash said. “Having said that, if we don’t get a Pac-12-Big Ten game, then we want the best game possible.

“And by doing that, we would want the national exposure (the Irish) have, the following they have, the history they have. All those things parallel a lot of the Rose Bowl tradition. That’s very attractive.”

Of course, Notre Dame would rather grab a title game spot. But a Kansas State-Oregon championship would precipitate openings in the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl. If the Wildcats are No. 1, the Fiesta chooses a replacement first. If the Ducks are, the Rose plucks first, and a herd of three-loss teams might leave it no viable Pac-12 option.

Notre Dame may even trump a Pac-12 team in some instances, such as the BCS enlarging the pool of available teams because of an SEC logjam atop the standings. Anything less than a top 14 Pac-12 team, and the Irish may win out.

“If the pool is enlarged and it’s a different scenario, then the group has to take a look at, what is the better game?” Ash said.

Even the prospect of a Michigan-Notre Dame rematch isn’t off-putting, though Ash said that hasn’t been discussed.

“I’m not sure that would matter to the committee,” Ash said. “I’m sure if that was the scenario that would play out, we’d take a serious look at it.”

Hush-hush: Apparently Notre Dame and the Big East aren’t talking about when their eventual parting of ways will happen. It seems whatever was on the table at first to eradicate a 27-month waiting period wasn’t enough.

“I haven’t had any additional talks with Notre Dame,” Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco said Tuesday, after league meetings near O’Hare. “As far as we’re concerned, they’ll play in the conference for three more seasons.

“If they have any thought about leaving early, they would really have to approach us. We had explored some things that didn’t, frankly, ultimately go very far. At this point, the ball is in their court.”

Help wanted: Orchestrating the No. 1 scoring defense may score Bob Diaco job offers, and Irish coach Brian Kelly said he would give his defensive coordinator advice if asked. But he’s not expecting to be asked just yet.

“You know Bob: He doesn’t want to talk about it,” Kelly said. “He didn’t come to Notre Dame to be the head coach somewhere else. He came to Notre Dame to help win a national championship.”

Healed up: Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell (head injury) was cleared Tuesday for practice and to play Saturday. ... Nose guard Louis Nix III will not miss time after an ejection against Boston College, as the disqualification was for unsportsmanlike conduct and not a punch thrown.